District Budget Cuts

Jacob Schmied
Staff Reporter

The coming Aurora Public Schools budget cuts are predicted to hit area schools hard. APS is slated to lose $18-20 million of its $267 million 2009-2010 budget for next year, which is a 6% loss. Another $16 million is expected to be lost over the next 2 years after.
To compensate for the cuts, no areas are out of reach. A hiring freeze is already in affect, and bigger class sizes, salary decreases, and reduction in staff could ensue in the coming months.
"See why I'm having nightmares and don't sleep?" Vody Herrmann, the Department of Education's schools finance director, said following a presentation to the board.
"For us, 83 percent is salary and benefits," said APS Superintendent John Barry. "This is the worst fiscal crisis that Aurora Public Schools has faced in modern memory. The cuts will be evident. We are trying to stay away from the classroom as much as we possibly can."
Many educators assume schools are safe from budget cuts because of Amendment 23, passed by voters in 2000, which set minimum school funding levels. However, Amendment 23 doesn't cover some programs - including preschool and parts of kindergarten. Those programs are funded in a bill passed annually by the legislature and their money can be cut. Another clause in the Colorado state constitution makes it so that the Colorado budget must be balanced. If money needs to be cut, it has to be cut.
“When revenue drops, the balance had to be balanced somewhere. Every public service is likely to take a hit,” said Ronald Fey, an Assistant Principal at APS’s Rangeview High School.
Another proposal is high school teachers taking on another class period, which would allow fewer teachers, saving an estimated $4 million dollars a year.
“As it stands right now, we can’t take on another class,” said Patrick Sandt, head of the Rangeview High School Teacher Union, “it’s in our contracts that we can’t take on more than 5 classes, but right now we’re in negotiation to change that.”
“People need to realize there is something they can do. Going to school board meeting, filling out surveys, and educating themselves is the first step.” Sandt went on to say. “John Barry and the school board do listen to what people have to say.”